AT 5:00 IN THE EVENING, 33-YEAR-OLD NICOLE LEAVES THE OFFICE.
>> I AM A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER AT A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
ANTHONY: THAT IS HER DAY JOB.
AT NIGHT SHE IS A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR.
>> WHEN I GOT OUT OF COLLEGE I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN.
I WANTED TO GET BACK INTO WORKING OUT BUT I CAN’T ON A TREADMILL.
I CAN’T BE THE GYM RAT.
ONE OF MY OLD ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS WAS LIKE, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE ZUMBA?
I WAS HOOKED.
ANTHONY: FIRST CAME ZUMBA AND THEN OTHERS.
SHE IS CERTIFIED TO TEACH THEM ALL.
>> I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS VERSATILE.
ANTHONY: NOW SHE IS TEACHING FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
>> EVERY DAY EXCEPT ON THE WEEKEND IS A DOUBLE.
YOU LIFT, YOU LOWER.
I WANTED TO PROVE SOMETHING TO MYSELF AND I ENJOYED DANCING.
THEN I REALIZED I COULD MAKE MONEY.
I AM NOT LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK ANYMORE.
NOW I CAN SAVE.
I HAVE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
I DIDN’T HAVE THAT BEFORE.
ANTHONY: HARD-WORKING AND MOTIVATED MAY NOT BE WHAT SOME THINK OF WHEN THEY HEARD -- THEY HEAR MILLENNIAL.
BUT SHE IS ONE.
THEY ARE ANYONE BORN BETWEEN 1981 AND 1996.
TODAY THEY ARE IN THEIR EARLY 20’S TO LATE 30’S.
WHILE BABY BOOMERS ARE THE LARGEST GENERATION WITH 74 MILLION PEOPLE, MILLENNIALS ARE A CLOSE SECOND AT 71 MILLION.
THEY ARE A CRITICAL BUT CRITICIZED SEGMENT.
>> THERE IS NEGATIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORD.
WHEN I WAS WRITING MY BOOK AND THINKING ABOUT NAMES FOR IT, I HAD ONE SAY, DON’T PUT MILLENNIAL IN THE TITLE.
WE HATE THAT WORD.
I SAY, IT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN A B BOOMER OR ANOTHER.
IT IS DEFINING YOUR BIRTH YEARS.
ANTHONY: LAUREN STILLER RIKLEEN IS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS INSTITUTE, STUDIED THE GENERATION AND WRITES ABOUT THEM IN THE BOOK.
YOU RAISED US, NETWORK WITH US.
-- NOW WORK WITH US.
>> ALL OF THE STEREOTYPES ARE NOT FAIR.
THEY ARE NOT CORRECT.
I DON’T THINK THEY ARE ENTITLED.
I THINK THEY ARE CONFIDENT.
WHICH CAN PUT PEOPLE OFF.
IF WE WERE NOT RAISING KIDS WHO WERE CONFIDENT AND HAD SELF-RESPECT, WE WERE FAILING AS PARENTS.
ANTHONY: THERE IS A SENSE EVERY GENERATION THINKS THE NEXT ONE COMING UP HAS IT EASIER.
DO THEY, OR DO THEY COME WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES AND DEFICIENCIES?
THERE IS A SENSE OF, I DID IT THIS WAY, AND YOU SHOULD AS WELL.
PEOPLE RESISTANT TO, WHY CAN’T THEY BECOME LIKE ME, THEY WON’T.
ANTHONY: BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY AND DEMAND, WORKING 9:00 TO 5:00 IS NOT AN OPTION.
THEY WANT FLEXIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY TO FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS MOST.
>> WORK LIFE BALANCE.
THERE IS NONE IF THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT GIVES.
IN LIFE THERE IS ALWAYS A CYCLE.
RIGHT NOW THE CYCLE IS MY FAMILY AND MAKING SURE THEY ARE SETTLED.
ANTHONY: IF THEY ARE NOT HAPPY, THEY ARE NOT AFRAID TO MAKE A CAREER MOVE.
>> THEY CHANGE DROPS -- JOBS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE, BUT THEY CAME INTO THE WORKFORCE AT A TIME OF ECONOMIC CALAMITY.
THEY HAD LESS OPPORTUNITY, LESS FULL-TIME OPPORTUNITIES, NO BENEFIT.
ANTHONY: FRO MILLENNIALS, WHERE THEY WORK IS NOT IMPORTANT.
>> THEY ARE VERY LOYAL BUT LOYAL TO PEOPLE, NOT ORGANIZATIONS.
WHAT IT MEANS IS IF THEY ARE WORKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS THEIR BACK AND WILL HELP THEM AND GET THEM AHEAD, WORK WITH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, THEY ARE AS LOYAL AS ANYBODY ELSE.
BUT WITH HIGH DEBT AND WORRIED ABOUT JOB SECURITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY WILL NOT BE LOYAL BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A BRAND NAME INSTITUTION.
ANTHONY: WHAT MATTERS IS WHO THEY ARE WITH AND HOW THEY SPEND THEIR TIME.
>> I WANT TO ENJOY MY TIME.
YES WE NEED TO MOVE OUT.
THERE ARE THINGS I STILL WANT TO THE ABLE TO DO.
I AM GOING TO ITALY AND I PUT MY MONEY THERE VERSUS THE HOUSE.
ANTHONY: SAVING FOR A VACATION IS ATTAINABLE BUT FOR MILLENNIALS, MUCH OF THE REST OF THE AMERICAN DREAM REMAINS OUT OF REACH.
>> SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE WORKPLACE CAN’T EVEN EXPECT TO EARN WHAT THEIR PARENTS EARNING BECAUSE THE OUTLOOK IS THAT CONSTRAINED COMPARED TO OTHER GENERATIONS.
IT IS THE FIRST IN WHICH THE DATA SUGGESTS THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OUTDO THEIR OWN PARENTS ECONOMICALLY.
SHAYNA: BIG MARKERS OF ADULTHOOD, LEAVING HOME, GETTING MARRIED, ARE REALLY HAPPENING IN THE 30’S ANTHONY:.
SHE SAYS WE NEED TO THINK OF THE 20’S AS A NEW STAGE OF LIFE.
IF WE LOOK AT THEM AS EMERGIN